3 she dogs and a puppy 8: The alphabet killer
by Fleppy85
Summary: Gang members get killed in alphabetical order. Can Sara and Sofia stop the killer before he reaches the letter 'z?


"Wake up!"

Sara found herself gasping for some air. She was drowning, she needed to get her head out of the water, she needed to move the car, she had to fight or she was due to die. The water ran down her throat, cold, dirty water, mixed with sand and other things, Sara had no idea of. It didn't stop, it kept running, it…

"Sara, wake the fuck up!"

Something hit her arm, she felt pain. How could there be pain when she didn't feel her arm? It was stuck under the car, it was...she opened her eyes. There was air. She could breathe. She tore her mouth wide open to get as much air as possible in her lungs.

"Sara!"

Arms got around her, her upper body got pulled in. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see, but she smelled Jules' perfume. Immediately her body calmed down. Jules was there, everything was alright, nothing could happen to her as long as her friend was there.

"Sara." The voice of the psychologist was soft now. Gently she caught two tears, that were running down Sara's face. More tears had been there before, some followed the two Jules caught.

"It's alright, Honey, it was a nightmare. You're safe, nothing happened to you." She wrapped her arms stronger around Sara. Primary to get her friend closer, to make her understand, she wasn't alone, she was safe. But also to warm her. Sara was ice cold, trembling.

"Natalie caught me, I was under the car."

"Natalie is in prison, she'll never come close to you again."

"She was there, she had me, I was drowning."

"You survived, you freed yourself."

"It was so real."

"It was a nightmare." Jules kissed Sara's hair. Ever since they had found the last victim of the blue rose killer, Sara's nightmares were back. Jules had stopped counting how often she, Greg or Sofia had gotten Sara out of a nightmare. Almost every night. They were close to assign one of them as a personal guard for Sara as soon as the brunette went to bed.

"So real." Sara placed her head on Jules' shoulder and closed her eyes. She tried to concentrate on her friend, of her warmth, of her perfume, her skin. Jules. Jules was here. She made Sara relax, let her leave the world of her nightmare.

"Sara?"

"Yes?"

"It can't go on like this. These nightmares have to stop. It has been six weeks since the blue rose killer left Las Vegas." At least they all assumed the killer. There had been no more killings with a blue plastic rose left behind. The FBI had left, they were looking all over the country for deaths, that had the same pattern, but so far there had been nothing. Jules and her friends were sure, if the killer left, she was somewhere in Mexico. It was safer for her there.

"It's not like I want them to be here."

"I know. You need help…"

"You are here, Jules." Sara didn't want to hear she was suppose to go to a therapist. She didn't want to go to somebody she didn't know. She didn't want to tell everything to a stranger. It couldn't help to say all these things, that were haunting her at nights in her dreams, loud so that somebody else knew about them. What could a therapist possible do? Make her repeat the night over and over again? She did that herself. Tell her, it was over and she had to get over it? She told that herself, it didn't work out.

"Maybe you need a specialist. Somebody, who's specialized in traumas."

"I don't want to talk to some stranger."

"This stranger could help you to find a way to handle your nightmares."

"Why can't you do that? You're a therapist, you're my friend, you know me better than anybody else does."

Sara was right on that. Jules knew her, Jules knew, what was going on in her head, what did happen to her, but Jules had no idea what to do, how to help her.

"I want to help you…"

"Would it help if I come to you? In your office? Like Sofia does."

"It's not about the place, Sara."

"So why does she come in your office?"

"She likes my office, she likes my couch. She feels comfortable there. You, on the other hand, never liked my office. The room to get into your mind."

"I won't talk to a therapist, Jules. I've done that once to keep my job, I won't do it again."

Jules sighed. Why did her friend have such a stubborn head?

"I'm scared, Sara. These nightmares come back every night, you've no control over them. They haunt you, they torture you, they let you suffer. They won't go away if you don't do something."

"Help me. Please."

"I want, you know that. But I've no idea how."

"Hold me."

"I'm holding you." But she couldn't hold Sara every night. Day. Nina was very patient, she didn't complain when they stayed every third night in Sara's apartment but it wasn't fair to ask her girlfriend to do this for weeks. One day there would be the point, when Nina told Jules to make a decision between her and Sara. And then Jules had no idea what to do or say. She loved and needed both women.

"Why doesn't it let go of me?"

"I don't know."

"Am I crazy? Am I losing it? Jules, do I have to go to a hospital?"

"No." Not now. Maybe soon if they couldn't do anything to help Sara.

A quiet knock on the door let both look up. Nina.

"I've some tea." She held two cups of tea in her hands.

"Why do therapist always think people want to drink tea? It's not delicious, it doesn't calm you down, it's only disgusting."

"As soon as they start to complain, they're feeling better." Nina put the tea on the nightstand and wanted to leave the room. Sara's hand, that caught the arm of the psychiatrist, stopped her.

"Stay, please."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She sat up, gave one cup of tea to Jules and the second to Nina. "You need to drink your tea, it's good for you."

"It's your tea, I've mine in the kitchen."

"I'll share with you, that's alright." She smiled a bit.

"All you want is to find somebody else to drink your tea."

"I offered, I'd share it with you."

"That means, you have to drink half of it."

"Alright." She took the cup from Nina and sipped on it. Disgusting, like she had suspected. "I'm sorry, Nina."

"What for?"

"For making your and Jules' life so complicated. The two of you have better things to do than babysit me every third night. Same for Greg and Sofia. I don't want you here, I want to have your own life."

"You are a part of our lives, Sara."

"Yeah, the pain in the ass part."

"More the stubborn CSI part."

"I wished I could stop these nightmares."

"As I know you, you don't want to go to a therapist, a trauma therapist."

"No."

"I told you weeks ago, the best therapist for you is in my eyes Jules."

"Looks like I kind of stuck at the moment, I can't make her lose these nightmares."

"Are they always the same?" Nina wasn't sure how much Sara wanted her to know about the nightmares, about her past. She had shared a bit, but Nina knew, there were a lot of other things, she had no idea of.

"Mostly. I'm under the car in the desert, I drown." Sara had told Nina about the night in the desert, what she remembered, what her friends had told her they knew. There were still pieces of the whole night missing, but she had a pretty good idea of what did happen to her, when and how.

"You said it was raining, there was water under the car. When you think back, how close have you been to drown?"

"The car was in front of a slope, there was water running under it, my arm was stuck, I tried to free it with the mirror. Eventually it worked out with some help from the water, but it was about time, there weren't a lot of inches left between the surface and the bottom of the car, that was up in the air. I can't tell you how much more time I had."

"You climbed out of the car, got out of the water and then?"

"I started walking. I had no idea where I was, I had no idea if anybody was looking for me, I had no idea where to go. I know you're supposed to stay with the car when you're in the desert, but I was scared Natalie could come back to make sure her miniature worked out. So I tried to find help – and failed. I broke down under the sun somewhere in the desert." Sara had to concentrate to keep her voice as steady as possible. With every word she saw pictures of the night. Pictures, she had seen, pictures, she hadn't seen because they showed her. It was like she watched a movie with her being the star.

"And in your nightmare you're stuck under the car again."

"Yes."

"When nobody wakes you up, what happens? Do you actually drown?"

"I…" Usually somebody got her out of these dreams. Somebody rescued her, like it had happened in real life, only at another scene. "I don't know."

Jules took Sara's hand. She didn't like that Nina was forcing Sara back in her nightmare, forced her to talk and think about it. She wanted to tell her lover to stop, but she knew, there was a reason why Nina asked all these questions. She hoped, Nina got her answers fast and could stop.

"Drowning stands for being overwhelmed, I'm sure Jules told you that before. Natalie did overwhelm you in a bad way. Seeing the last crime scene of the blue rose killer overwhelmed you too. It reminded you of your own case, with you as the victim, being overwhelmed. And like the night in the desert, you were helpless about this case. You couldn't work it, the FBI was in your way, you didn't find the killer.

Now we take the part of you under the car. Being trapped. When you're trapped, or buried alive, what kind of fits to you in this case too, it can mean that you're confused in real life and don't know what to do. I know it was real, it wasn't an interpretation of you being trapped, but let's get it into today, the present. Is there anything that confuses you, Sara? Is there a part of your life, in that you don't know what to do?"

"I don't understand why somebody kills six people without a reason, who haven't have anything to do with each others. I don't understand how a serial killer can stop killing, vanish and go on with his or her life. I don't know what to do to get the killer, I feel helpless."

"So we're again back at the blue rose killer case. You're stuck there, you can't go on, you can't work it, you can't close it. You're trying to find a way to close it. Like you tried to find a way out of the car, out of the water. You succeeded there, you want to succeed in the case too."

"Yes."

"So if nobody wakes you up, what will happen?"

"I'll drown."

"Why?"

"Because I couldn't find the killer, I lost. I'll lose the fight under the car too."

"You don't know if you haven't found the killer. Maybe you did. How many open murder cases are there in Vegas?"

"Too many." Sara didn't know numbers, she only knew, it were too many.

"How many killer did get convicted with your help?"

"Many."

"Do you think these killers only killed the one person, who's case you worked?"

"Probably not." It was very likely that whoever killed once and got away, repeat the killing. It worked out once, why not twice?

"So when a murderer gets send to prison for killing John Doe 63, it could be also the killer of John Doe 32 and Jane Doe 46, who got convicted."

"Yes."

"And the killer won't tell you that he also killed two other people because he's not stupid, it will bring him the needle. Only if he has a huge ego and the attention is more important to him than his life, he'll tell you. Our blue rose killer does not have this huge ego, she is a smart woman. If you catch her, let's say for something petty, speeding. There won't be anything that will tell you or the officer, that she is a serial killer. So yes, it can be that our killer is already in prison. Not for the death of those six people, but for something else."

"She'll get out if it's only a minor breach of the law."

"Yes she will. And if she kills again, you'll have another chance to catch her. Until that time there's nothing you can do to catch her or keep her in prison. You did all you could, you even found her goodbye note. And you know, there was no way that you could have caught her that day. She was watching us, she saw when we left."

"She left the note because she knew, we'd find it."

"I'm pretty sure she left the note after you and Greg spotted her. She wanted us to know she'll go. If not this way, she had found another way. Maybe with another body. Finding the note there, spotting her there, might have saved a life. You have saved a life, Sara."

"You're trying to make me feel better, Nina."

"No, drink some tea." Nina smiled when Sara mad a grimace. "I try to tell you, that there's no reason for you to be stuck in this case, Sara. That's what you are, you're not stuck under a car, you're not stuck in your past, under a car, you're stuck in that case. Let go of it. You did all you could, all anybody could have done."

"I'm not sure if I can make myself believe that." There were too many doubts in her head. Too many accusations, she made herself.

"You worked with the FBI, they checked everything you did in these six cases. Do you really believe if there had been a tiny mistake, anything that didn't fit perfectly to the book, anybody had held back and didn't tell you? Come on, these guys were really pissed off when you found the note, made them look stupid. Any chance to make you look bad, they had jumped at it, took and use it as much as possible. They're assholes."

"They are your colleagues."

"See, I know them." Nina blinked and stroke Sara's arm. "Trust me on that."

"Okay." It made sense. They had been mad when they learnt, Sara and Greg had seen somebody watching them and the scene and took off alone, without telling them. And Sara knew, the boss of the unit had tried to give Grissom a hard time for that.

The last sip of tea. Sara put the cup away. Disgusting. "Hey Jules?" She still held the hand of her friend.

"Yes?"

"Your girlfriend isn't too bad either. I mean, for a therapist, psychiatrist, mind poker."

"Yeah, she isn't as good as I am, that's why she's only with the FBI and not with the LVPD, but she's still learning." Jules grinned. "Give her some credit for trying, will you?"

"I do." Sara chuckled. "Thanks Nina."

"That's what I'm here for. If the psychologist Psy. doctor can't help you, a real doctor has to help out."

"I am a real doctor."

"Of course you are, Honey." Nina patted Jules's arm like you did with a child who told you with all her believe, Santa Claus came to her house every Christmas.

"One day we'll have a huge fight about that, my dear. A real big one." Jules shot some evil looks at her girlfriend. She was a doctor just like Nina was one. A doctor M.D. wasn't more a doctor than a doctor Psy.

* * *

"What did happen here?" Sara let her eyes run over her new crime scene. Three dead bodies, all young men in their late teens, early twenties. All down on the ground, at least one bullet in the middle of their heads. Execution?

"May I introduce you to A, B and C." Sofia leant on her car, watching the scene. She had been the first officer on scene and called the three bodies in.

"A, B and C? Since are not using John Doe anymore when we don't have any names?"

"I told you their names."

"A, B and C?"

"Yes."

"Who named their child A, B or C?"

"Nobody, children do that to themselves. They all belong to the Alphabet gang. A group of people, who are busy dealing drugs in Vegas. Especially around the Strip and the upper neighborhoods."

"Let me guess: there are twenty-six members of the gang? Or twenty-three now."

"There are some more members, don't forget upper case A, lower case B and so on."

"You know this gang good?"

"I worked a few cases of them."

"Any enemies? Beside the obvious other drug dealer?"

"Aren't that enough suspects?"

"Yeah, you're right." Sara walked to the victims. All were dressed up in black, the alphabet printed on the back of their sweaters.

"One bullet to the head. How do you get three young men, all gang member to line up and take a bullet. They don't even look like they tried to escape."

"My guess? They weren't killed here. Not enough blood and not that I've touched a body, but when you look closer at the wrist of B, the one in the middle, you see some marks."

"They've been cuffed?"

"You're the CSI, you tell me."

"I will as soon as the coroner is here and allows me to touch the body. Are you here to secure the scene, to talk to all of the witnesses, to look good or to help?"

"I like the look good part. And because I can multitask, I'll ask all the helpful and eager witnesses about the murder." Sofia grinned. She had one witness, a homeless guy, who had called the bodies in. She had talked to him briefly, all he said was, he came along, saw them and called 911. She doubted, he remember more now.

"Means I'll work the scene and wait for some help. We've a busy night, everybody is out on a scene."

"No Greggo?"

"No Greg. Grissom will come along later."

"I'm sure you don't mind that." Sofia blinked and turned.

Sara shook her head slightly. What did Sofia want to tell her with this comment? Of course she didn't mind Grissom's help. Why should she? Or was Sofia suggesting that Sara and Grissom were more than colleagues? She knew that was a long time ago and Sara didn't want to date Grissom again. It didn't work out in the first time, nothing had changed, so why should she want to give it another try? It had never crossed her mind – not until now. And now it sounded strange.

* * *

"Any luck on the alphabet killer?" Sara had finished her shift for today. Three dead bodies and nobody expected her to work overtime. Three dead drug dealer weren't exactly the highest priority in Las Vegas. Everything Sara had so far supported the theory, the young men got killed in a gang fight. The bullets weren't in the system, which didn't surprise her. You use your gun to kill three people, you make sure, it hadn't been used somewhere else and leaves a trail to you. The last couple of weeks, gangs tempted to bury their used guns somewhere in the desert and to find them there, was almost impossible. Or just send them down to Mexico, in exchange of some new, unused guns.

"No and nobody pushes me. It's more like I feel, I waste my time for some drug dealers, nobody will miss. I won't be surprise if I get assigned to another case tonight." Sofia got up.

"Is it me or does the city not care anymore?"

"It's more like the city wants us to make sure the rich people tomorrow will be fine."

"Which rich people?" Did Sara miss something?

"The fight? Boxing. The city will be packed with people from tonight on and the Sheriff expects us to make sure all these good people, who bring their money into our lovely city, will not be disturb spending their money. They're suppose to lose a fortune on the poking machine and not a cent on the street to a gang or a pickpocket."

"I forgot about the fight. Do you have tickets?"

"No. I'm not into boxing."

"Maybe your date is."

Sofia cocked her head. "It bothers you that you've no idea who he is, doesn't it?" She hadn't told Sara who her date was. There was no reason for it, but she enjoyed that she had a secret, Sara knew of, but couldn't do anything to make her share her secret.

"According to Jules, he's a nice guy."

"What else did she tell you?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing. Not even his name. You're dating this guy since six weeks and I've no idea what his name is, how he looks like and what he's like. What does that tell you, Sofia?"

"You're a lousy investigator. Anybody else had figured all these things out within a week. Even Greg knows more."

"Why does the puppy know more?"

"Because they talked on the phone a few times. When there's only one landline in the house and a call comes in, the one who's next to the phone, answers the call. Sometimes it happens that I get a call and Greg brings the phone to me."

"He never mentioned."

"Of course not. He had a bad conscience when I told him, he knows more than you do but I could calm him down when I told him, as long as you don't ask if he knows anything or as long as he doesn't tell you, he doesn't know anything, it's not lying."

"It's withhold of information, it's a felony."

"Not in that case." Sofia laughed. "And don't you dare to give Greg a hard time for that. He did it because I asked him to do so. If you want to be mad at somebody, be mad at me."

"I'm not mad a Greg and I'm not mad at you. Why should I? It's your private life, you make the decision when I'm allowed to know his name."

"Right." Sofia took her car keys, turned off the lights and got her arm slightly around Sara. "Come on, investigator, I invite you to breakfast."

"Don't you have a breakfast date?"

"I do. Especially when you say, you want to join me."

"Okay. Where do we go?"

"Let me surprise you."

Sara raised an eyebrow. She followed the detective in her car to a diner off the strip near Spring Valley.

"I can't remember we've ever been here."

"We weren't. They've great coffee and very good eggs."

"And you know that why?"

"I'm a cop, I know things like that. Cops come around." Sofia opened the door for Sara. Inside it was busy, most tables were taken. Sofia didn't bother to wait for the waiter to seat them, she walked straight to a table in the back. Sara had no other choice than following her. At a table on the window Sofia stopped.

"Got us a seat." The blonde smiled.

Sara looked at the man, who was sitting at the table. Was it necessary to point out that the table was taken? Or was the man about to leave? And when, how did Sofia know?

"Oh, did I forget to mention, we won't be alone? Looks like. Sorry. We've got company. Hey." She bent down and kissed the man for a short moment on his lips. Now Sara didn't need any more explanations. That was the mysterious man in Sofia's life. The man, everybody but Sara knew the name of.

"Say hello to Sara. I hope you don't mind, but she was dying to meet you."

"We don't want her to die only to meet me. Hi, I'm Brian." He smiled at Sara.

So, that was his name. "Sara."

"Sofia told me quiet a lot about you." He offered Sara a seat.

"Thanks. She didn't mention you with a word. Not even your name."

"Not? Are you ashamed of me?"

"Is there a reason to be ashamed?" Sofia sat next to Brian, her hand linking with his hand.

"You tell me."

"No. I was waiting for the right moment for the two of you to meet. And I wanted to find out, what is going on with us before I introduce you to my friends."

"So I'm worth to meet your friends?"

"Or they're worth to meet you. Sara behaved good, I thought, she deserved a little treat." Sofia blinked at her friend.

"Very funny." Sara had to admit, Sofia looked happy next to Brian, who had a soft smile on his face since Sofia was next to him. He wasn't tall, Sara guessed, she had an inch on him and she also was a year or two senior than him. Meant, Sofia was older or at least the same age than her new boyfriend. His brown hair was short, a little bit messed up, reminded Sara of Greg's hairstyle and his green eyes shone. There was a scar on his cheek and some scratch marks on his lower arms.

"Cats." He read her mind.

"You have got cats?"

"No, well, kind of. I'm working with a vet and these are some traces of a patient, who didn't like me. Or he didn't like the needle in my hand. I've some scratches, he has an anti-rabies inoculation. It comes with the job."

"Actually Brian is a vet." Sofia said.

"Not yet. I need to do my exams."

"Any time soon?"

"Yes. In two weeks."

"Good luck."

"Thanks, I'll need that."

"You'll make it, I've no doubt about that." Sofia supported her boyfriend.

"We'll see. I'm working on it."

"Where did you meet?" Sofia didn't have a pet and Brian didn't look like the regular guests in their favorite clubs. Sara doubted they met when Sofia was working, they must have met somewhere else. Sport?

"In a waiting room." Brian answered.

"Jules." That was why Jules knew more. She knew Brian. First Sara had believed, they were kidding her when Jules said, she knew who Sofia was dating. Now it made perfect sense to her. Brian was really a patient of Jules.

"Who's Jules?"

"You know her as doctor Weinberg, Brian." Sofia smiled.

"You know her too?"

"Kind of. She's my best friend and she works with the LVPD." Sara didn't mention, that Sofia and Jules were also friends, that was up to the detective to say.

"So you know her also from your job?" Brian looked at Sofia.

"I know her as a colleague, yes. And as a friend."

"You've got me a little confused. She's your friend and you're her patient?"

"No, not exactly. She's my friend, I'm her friend and I'm in her office because – and that sounds really ridiculous now – I like her couch and I like the room. Usually we don't meet somewhere quiet to talk, so I come to her office. I feel better talking to her there than at her or my place. I can't really explain it. Disappointed?"

"Why should I be disappointed?"

"Because I didn't tell you I know doctor Weinberg as a friend."

"It's unusual."

"Yes it is. But I didn't lie to you why I went to her office in the first place, I promise. I do have a relationship problem, ask Sara, she can tell you about it. And my name is Sofia, I am a detective and I do live together with a guy I'm not involved with." Sofia stopped. She was sure, she had mentioned all things, Brian could possible of being a lie. Or did she forget anything?

"That's true. Greg isn't into blonde." Sara grinned. "And the rest is true too. And if you hurt her, Brian, I'll hurt you. And so will Greg and doctor Weinberg, I can promise you that. Break her heart and we'll break your neck and worse."

"Nothing better than a breakfast full with surprises and threats."

"She doesn't mean it that way – okay, she does." Sofia placed her head on Brian's shoulder and looked at him. "She's protective. The thing is, when we're working, I take care of her. As soon as we're off duty, she takes care of me because I'm not capable of helping myself – not when it comes to men."

"Well, I don't plan to hurt you, Sofia. You know that."

"And just to make something else very clear: just because we're friends of Jules, doctor Weinberg, it doesn't mean, we know what you talk in therapy. We've no clue, she takes that very serious. I didn't know a thing of you and I've no idea what she and Sofia are talking when they have their meetings."

"Yes, we're happen to be friends with Jules, who happens to be a therapist."

"And I can tell you, that sucks big time sometimes." Sara made a grimace and got Brian laughing.

"I'm not paranoid. I'm sure doctor Weinberg can separate private and business life and even a therapist needs friends. I'm only a little bit surprised that you see her in her office to talk to her and not in a café, like friends usually do."

"I couldn't meet you in a café." Sofia smiled.

"That's true."

"And we haven't taken the puppy to a vet, so there was no other chance for me to meet you."

"You've got a puppy? You never mentioned that."

Sara and Sofia started laughing. "Yes, we have a puppy, his name is Greg. We call him puppy because he's the youngest and he's cute like a puppy, with really sweet puppy eyes. When he looks with these sad puppy eyes at you, you just want to take him in your arms."

"Talk like that a little bit more and I'll caponize him."

"Janet won't like that." Sofia chuckled. "No need to worry, he's the puppy, we're the bitches. It's a group thing."

"Sounds interesting. Unfortunately I can't listen to more stories, it's time for me to go to work, there are puppies and bitches waiting too. I'll call you tonight."

"Okay, I think, I won't have to start early, maybe we can meet for dinner."

"I hope so." Brian got up. "See you, Sara. Take care of my detective."

"I will take care of your girlfriend, the detective can take care of herself; most times"

"Alright. I hope, I'll see you soon."

"That's up to Sofia, if she hides you again, it will take another six weeks or so."

"It won't be another six weeks." Sofia kissed Brian. "Go, rescue a kitten for me. Or a baby tiger."

"Like every day." He smiled at both women and left the diner. Sofia followed him with her eyes until he was in his car. She sighed. There he left. This was the first time since she had started being a detective, that she hated her job. Or more the shift. Damn night shift made it almost impossible to spend some time together.

"He's nice. Why did you hide him for so long?"

"I was scared you'd steal him." Sofia got her attention back to Sara.

"What makes you think I won't do that now?"

"He won't let you steal him."

"I hope he'll send every other woman away too."

"So do I."

"Don't worry." Sara took Sofia's hand. "I think, you've made a good decision."

"Can't be too bad. We're dating since six weeks, no sex and he's still with me."

"A patience man."

"Yes. He knows about my problem, he knows it's – like most fears – ridiculous, but that doesn't make it less painful. For me his problem, his fear, is nothing to be scared of, that's the problem with fears, most people don't understand them because they're not afraid of something. Or they don't admit that they are. People, who are scared of something, who fear something, understand when you're scared, they don't laugh at you."

"Your fear is real."

"So is his, so is yours. Any more nightmares?"

"I had a bad one yesterday. I hope, I'll be fine today."

"Want some company?"

"What will Brian say when you spend your night, day, in my bed? In my arms?"

"I'm a lucky woman and he would be a even more lucky man if he could be in your shoes? I didn't know he had to worry when we share a bed. You had your chance, Sara, you didn't take it, it won't come back. You've to live with the knowledge, you'll never have me."

"I told you not to dare me."

"I can do that now. I've got Brian and even if I'd forget that – what I'll never do – you know it, you wouldn't do anything. Don't try to pretend to be a bad ass bitch, you're a nice one. And a tired one, I can see that in your eyes. Let's go home, investigator, we need some sleep. You never know what will happen this night, could be a double."

"I don't hope so." Sara didn't want to work a double shift, she wanted to have a whole week with only ordinary shifts. And without any more nightmares to get some real sleep.

* * *

"I think I've a déjà vu." Sara looked at the three dead bodies in front of her feet. Three young men, all three dressed up in the same kind of clothes like the three of the night before. They lay in front of a wall, bullet holes in their forehead. Sara bet, there were no other bullets, just like the three other victims. Bullet to the head, cuffed with a rope, they had found out, was sold in every shop that had garden, handcraft or handyman supplies.

"Somebody is serious about killing dealer." Sofia had secured the scene.

"Yeah. Who are they?"

"D, E and F."

"No kidding?"

"No. Somebody is not only serious about killing drug dealing kids, somebody is also very serious in doing so in the right order."

"If I was G, I'd be very paranoid now."

"I've G, H and I on the radio, we want them in; like any other member of the gang. Maybe they can tell us, who wants to erase them one by one; in alphabetically order."

"Any words on the streets?"

"Not that I know of. After tonight their cases might be more important. Three dead drug dealers weren't exactly what the city calls high priority. The possibility that somebody is about to kill a whole gang is something else."

"They'll still be a bunch of drug dealing kinds, the city doesn't need, is glad to have them away and nobody cares about them."

Sofia knew Sara was right. As long as only gang members got killed and no tourist was in danger – and so far there was nothing that leaded them to this conclusion – the Sheriff wasn't too interested. These kids weren't the clientele, who voted for him. If he could tell the city before the next election, the amount of dealer had decreased, it helped him.

"I'll walk around and see if anybody has seen something."

Sara raised her eyebrows. In this area nobody saw anything. She was surprised that the bodies weren't stripped and left with nothing than their bullet hole.

Her cell phone rang.

"Sidle."

"Tell me what you've got." She recognized Grissom's voice.

"I've got three dead bodies, according to Sofia their names are D, E and F. Somebody doesn't like the Alphabet gang."

"Do you need some help?"

"Do I get some help?"

"I've some time for you."

"Thanks." She closed her cell phone. Some help from Grissom. Again. She had been sure, he had something else to do, but it seemed like he made some time to go on working with him. That reminded her of the time, when they worked almost every case together. After she told him about her past, when they became a couple.

Why did she think of that?

"We've some Alphabet members in custody. Want to talk to them?"

"Sure." Sara dropped her sandwich. She could eat that later – no, in fact she could eat it while she walked to Sofia, she was hungry. Sara took her files, the sandwich and walked over to the police department. Usually gang members weren't keen of talking to the police, especially when there was nothing you could threat them with. Sara was sure the police found a reason to bring them in, something that held up for a short while, but if they didn't catch the members with drugs in their pockets, there was a big possibility that they all walked out of the department before Sara could call it a night.

"With what do you charge them?" She had finished her last bite of the sandwich when she arrived at Sofia's desk.

"Nothing that will keep them in for longer than an hour or two. Amazingly they all know their rights, most of them got a lawyer before we had them in. Why do people always know their rights and never their obligations?"

"Because obligations stop you from having fun and do, what you want to do. Ask any child or teenager. Or just remember yourself of the time when you were one."

"I wasn't like that."

Sara cocked her head. "Not?"

"No. Well, most times not."

"I'll leave that without a comment. With whom do we start?"

"Because we can't hold them long, I think we should talk to J. He was the closest letter I could get to the victims. The rest are lower case letters."

"Means?"

"The longer you in, the more drugs you've sold, the more respect you've earned, the bigger your letter. Our victims are on the second level. Obviously it starts with lower case letters, goes on to letter, to upper case letters to star letters."

"What happens when there are two really talented K's? Do they have Star K One and Star K Two?"

"No, if the one, who'll become Star K is better than the old one, the old Star K will become an upper K. There are some upper letters, they're numbered, but only one is a star letter. Every star letter is in charge of some other letters, has his or her own district."

"So who's the boss? The letter version of The Count?"

Sofia laughed. "I like that. The Alphabet is in charge."

"The Alphabet? Is that a person?"

"Yes. A man, LVPD really wants to talk to – for a few months now. Unfortunately he's like the letters in an alphabet soup, difficult to catch."

"Don't you just love laying out words with the letters?"

"Yes. We should cook one."

"Do you invite Brian?"

"Not the next two weeks."

"Why?"

"Because of Jules."

"Jules? Oh." Sara understood. In two weeks Brian had his exams and after that, he would stop seeing Jules. It wasn't a good idea to meet your therapist in private when you still had your appointments.

"Yes. The only reason why he hasn't been around. I'll bring him along after his exams, when he's a vet and doesn't need Jules anymore."

"I don't think it's possible not to need Jules."

"Not if you put the focus on of being a friend, but when you put the focus on being a therapist I think it's possible."

"Misses Miller." Sara blinked. There was noo need to say more.

"Get your ass into the interrogation room, Sidle."

"Yes, detective." She opened the door for Sofia and both entered the room.

A young man with a black sweater an the word ALPHABET stitched on the back in golden letters, was sitting on a chair. His eyes were half closed and he didn't look up when they entered the room. Next to him was a man in a cheap black suit and in a desperately need for a hair cut.

"Vincent Deberoo, I'm detective Curtis, that's Sara Sidle with the crime lap. We're glad to see you." Sofia sat opposite of the gang member, who didn't bother to look up.

"Mister Deberoo doesn't wish to talk to you."

"That's a shame. We're sure he knows that six of his friends are dead. Three killed last night, three this night. What should concern him even more that the killer has a system. He killed A, B and C first, then D, E, and F. What does your client, who's street name is J make out of that? G, H, I…guess the next one."

"My client doesn't wish to make any comments about the dead of his friends. He's grieving."

"Sure he is. Hey Vinc, there's somebody out, who likes to kill your friends and if he goes on like the last two nights, you'll be his victim in two nights. Do you really want to risk that?" No reaction. Sofia looked at Sara. Didn't this boy understand, she was here to help him? To help his friends.

"My client has no idea who is killing his friends."

"Does he want to see the killer in prison?"

"Of course."

"Great, in that case he should lift his head a bit, use his voice and tell us, who wants the Alphabet gang dead. We found them executed, with whom do you guys have a problem at the moment? Which gang tries to get into your area? Or are you expanding?"

Again no reaction.

"You're not helping here, Vinc."

"Do you know where G, H and I are?" Sara asked. "We don't know where they are, they're in danger. The killer caught his victims, cuffed them and shot them at the end before he dumps the bodies somewhere. It's possible that he has already his next victims."

"I'm not a rat." Finally some words from the young man.

"You're not giving us anything about your friends. Somebody out there kills them, it should be in your interest to stop this person. Who's after you and your friends?"

"Lone Star."

"The company?"

"He calls himself Lone Star because he thinks, he's a freaking Sheriff, with the mission to clean the streets."

"Like in the movie?"

"Probably."

"Why your gang?"

"He got some guys out of the district after he killed half of the gang."

"He killed half a gang?" Sofia didn't believe it. They hadn't found so many bodies. Half a gang meant, there must be around a dozen bodies somewhere. At least.

"A small one. Seven bodies. Rumor is, he burnt them and strewed the ashes into Lake Meat. Nobody gave a damn about that story. Some midlife wanna be hero daddy, who wants to scare gangs to save his neighborhood, be the star."

Sofia wasn't surprised that seven gang members could disappear and nobody noticed it. She wasn't surprise, that somebody was sick of having gangs around his house, didn't want his kids growing up with drugs in front of the picket fence. What she surprised was, that she hadn't heard of that story. Usually words travel fast on the street.

"When did that happen? When did he erase the gang?"

"Last weekend. If it's true."

"Well, somebody started to erase your friends in alphabetically order and that's very true and very real."

"Sometimes gangs mess with us, but we'll…everything will find it's way." He changed his sentence.

"Leave that to the police." She didn't need to see his eyes to know that he was laughing at her. She didn't believe for a second he or his friends would leave anything to the police. It was her job to say something like that, even if she felt very stupid saying it.

"Where are your friends?"

"Don't know."

"Come on, don't bullshit me."

"Ditto."

"We want to safe them."

"And I want to save the world."

"That's noble. Any idea where we can find this Lone Star?"

"He cleared the area around Rhodes Ranch."

"And?"

"And that's all I've to say."

* * *

"Do you believe his story?" Sara got a coffee out of the vending machine and gave it to Sofia.

"We haven't heard of a killing of a seven people."

"Doesn't mean it never happened."

"No, it doesn't. I want to check it out, go around the area, talk to some people."

"Need some company?"

"Is this company a CSI, brunette and a friend of mine?"

"We can arrange that she's your company."

"Deal. Maybe we'll find some evidence of the fire. He burnt seven bodies, there must be some trace."

"Vincent never said Lone Star burnt the bodies in Rhodes Ranch. And why burn them and shoot these members?"

"Maybe he thinks killing them in the old mafia style scares more people."

"It scares not enough to cooperate with the police to save your ass and the ass of your friend."

"No." Sofia threw the coffee after two sips away. Too disgusting. They were leaving the department now, they could grab some coffee outside. "Let's go."

They took Sofia's car and the blonde didn't let Sara take the chance of taking over her car. It had to be the passenger seat for the brunette, no matter if she liked it or not. Without arguing Sara sat down and closed her eyes. Five or so minutes to give her eyes a rest.

"Tired?"

"Yes. Can we have a coffee before we walk around and talk to people, who doesn't want to talk to us? And the one's who'll talk to us will think, this Lone Star is a hero."

"Yes, we'll get a coffee."

"This is the direction of the diner we've been in yesterday."

"And?"

"Is Brian there every morning? You weren't home with us the last weeks, I wonder if you meet your boyfriend there every morning after work when you finish on time."

"I do. The veterinary practice is in that area, Durango Drive."

"You know, I love kitten too."

"No."

"Yes, I do."

"No, we won't go there."

"What a pity. No good morning kiss and hug for you."

"You feel sorry for me? Kiss and hug me."

"You don't want that anymore."

"True." Sofia grinned. "But we can ask him if he knows something. I mean, he works with pets, dogs need to walk a lot, dog owner see a lot, they talk to other dog owner, who talk to the vet, when their dogs need something. Maybe somebody saw a fire. Or how somebody got seven gang members together. You think, he put them in a car? A bus? Or he caught them one by one?"

"I've no idea. If they were burnt alive, he had to cuff them somewhere. Or to drug them. Or he stabbed or shot them before he barbecued them. People are full of idea when it comes to torture somebody."

"Sad but true." Sofia made the decision, it was a good idea to have a look at Brian and his work place. They could ask him for some rumors and there was a bakery shop opposite the veterinary office to get some coffee.

* * *

"Brian will take five minutes and meet us for a coffee."

"And a kiss?"

"I'm sure I'll get one, if he gives one to you too, I'm not sure if I like that."

"You don't want to share your boyfriend?"

"No."

"Not even with me?"

"No."

"Pity."

"Stick with women and we won't have any problems, Sara."

"Unless I'll hit on you."

"Won't be a problem, I'll tell you to back off and you will do that."

"Will I?"

"Yes. Don't try to tell me anything else, I know you." Sofia grinned.

"Lucky you, I'm not interested in you. You're enough trouble as a friend, I don't need that in a relationship."

"Trouble?"

"Yes. Every time I work with you, I end up in overtime."

"Because I make you work very accurate. It's called good influence."

Sara chuckled. Good influence? And did Sofia tell her, she wasn't working accurate when she was on scene with another detective? As far as Sara knew, she always did a good job. If Sofia thought different, they had to talk about that, but Sara knew, the blonde was only teasing her.

"Sure. Can you stop? They look like they could tell us something." Sara pointed to a group of teenager, who were sitting on a bench. As soon as they noticed the two women, half of the group disappeared in an alley. Only two boys stayed.

"Got lost, ladies?" The taller one asked.

"Looks more like your friends got lost." Sofia held her batch up, not that it wasn't obvious to the kids, they were with the police. That was the reason the rest had left.

"They had an appointment."

"Sure. We're not here to bust you."

"We ain't do nothing wrong."

"I'm sure you didn't. But maybe you saw something."

"We don't see anything."

"See, that's something I don't believe you. You're sitting here the whole day, you walk around with your friends, you guys see a lot. And we make it easy on you, we're looking for one special person. He calls himself Lone Star."

"That's a TV show."

"We didn't ask for a TV show, we asked for a real person. Somebody, who apparently killed seven people last week."

"I ain't know no killer."

"Okay." Sofia bent down, closer to the one, who was talking the whole time. She had showed enough patience, she wanted some real answers. "Let's make it clear: you talk here and we'll leave, you stay like nothing has happened. Or you play dumb and we'll take you and your friend downtown. Plus we'll order my colleagues to get the rest of your friends. They'll be really pissed off when they have the police after them only because you didn't want to talk to us. We're looking for a man, who killed friends of you. You can sit here, tell me you don't know a thing and he'll go on killing. The chances are high he'll kill you because he doesn't like gangs and he doesn't like kids with white powder in their pockets. Give me a name and I'll make him disappear, gives you and your friends a better sleep and a longer life. Or choose the trouble option."

"Hey, you're…"

"I want an answer now!" Sofia got her cell out.

"We don't know who this Lone Star is. Rumors are, the dude lives in the hood, alone."

"Where?"

"You think we hadn't talked to him if we knew?"

"Where did he get the others?"

"Riley Street. Last part of the road."

"Good decision." Sofia put her cell phone away. She and Sara walked back to the car.

"How comes they try to protect somebody, who kills them?" Sara wondered.

"The police is always the enemy."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Maybe they think we want to give Lone Star a medal. Thanks for making the city cleaner."

"This used to be a great area, pretty expensive." Sara looked at the houses.

"Years ago, yes. Now you find better areas. I still like the amenities."

"So why did you move in with Greg instead of here?"

"Greg had a cheap room and is great company. Of course, there are downsides too, we've a nasty neighbor, a real bitch, but we've learnt to live with her." Sofia blinked. The main reason for her move were her friends. She didn't want to live so far away, she wanted a short way between Sara's balcony, the place they meet most times, and her home. Now there were around twenty yards between the balcony and Sofia's room, she considered that as pretty close.

"Just don't hang around her balcony anymore and you've got your peace."

"I'll consider that." Sofia stopped her car. "This is isolated."

"Yeah, you've got houses on the left, the other sides are free. Perfect to vanish. I'm sure people mind their own business, but what is a gang doing here?"

"Bruce Woodbury Beltway and Las Vegas Beltway are close, you can go to everywhere in a minute. You see when a police cars comes around, there's only this one road. I'd choose this area too if I wanted to deal."

"Do you think Lone Star lives here?"

"Maybe." Sofia's cell phone rang. The private one.

"Lover's call. I'll call the department, ask if they have any houses here that are occupied by a single man between twenty and fifty." Sara left the car. She wanted to give Sofia some private time with Brian and the fresh air gave her a little boost. She was tired.

It took her colleague five minutes to call her back and to give her two names. When she came back in the car, Sofia had finished her call.

"Does he miss you?"

"He'll come here, brings some coffee and bagels. Full service."

"Nice. I've two names, you might want to order your delivery boy to another address." She gave Sofia the addresses and the detective simply send the street names to Brian. He'd find their car and had to wait there anyway. He couldn't join them when they talked to the men.

"Tom Carlton, age forty-seven. Midlife crisis? Never made anything special and wants to be the hero of the neighborhood now?"

"Ever watched 'Gran Torino'?"

"No."

"I've it somewhere, if you want, we can watch it together. It's a good movie, Clint Eastwood is in it and he kind of cleans up his neighborhood too. And he's a little bit older than forty-seven in that movie."

"Sounds like we've a movie date."

"If you want, you can bring some company."

"Only if we have this date after the exams."

"I think, we can arrange that." Sara got out of the car. The house they parked in front of, looked like all the other houses here.

"Let's see if Tom is at home." It was a little bit after seven, most people were home, having breakfast. Sofia rang the bell and waited.

It didn't take long and a man opened the door.

"Tom Carlton?"

"Yes."

"I'm detective Curtis, LVPD, that's Sara Sidle with the crime lab. We'd like to ask you a few questions."

"What questions?"

The banker type. He didn't strike Sara as a man, who walked around the neighborhood after dark and kill gang members. More like, he had an appointment with his personal broker and a scotch in front of the TV.

"Seven young men disappeared last week from this area. Did you notice anything?"

"How did they disappear?"

"Apparently they got killed."

"I haven't seen anybody kill anyone. Haven't heard of these seven people either. Neighbors?"

"Teenager, probably gang member."

"I try not to be around them, try not to look when I see them. Frankly, I can't see any harm of the community when gang members disappear. Makes the neighborhood safer."

"Are you in any group of neighborhood protection? Own a gun?"

"A gun? Me? No. I'm not into guns, sports or any of this 'we play police and keep the street safe' groups. I work in a bank, I know numbers, I know accounts. Anything else I've no clue of and I don't do things, I've no clue of. Too many people get killed because thy do things they've no idea of."

"What kind of car do you have?"

"I don't have a car, I take the bus."

No gun, no sport, no car. Sofia didn't need to look at Sara to know, the investigator thought the same like she did: this man wasn't a Lone Star.

"Thanks for your time, Mister Carlton."

They walked back to the car.

"This is no hero."

"Superman appeared to be boring too." Sofia said. "But I can't see this man handle seven teenager."

"No. Let's try the next one and then call it a night. We're kind of looking for the needle in a haystack."

"Yes, but the damn needle must be somewhere in the haystack. It's like playing lotto, sometimes you get lucky."

"True." Sara took the keys away from Sofia. "My turn."

"My car."

"The department's car." Sara sat behind the wheel. Sofia shook her head and got on the passenger's seat. She got kicked off her own driver's seat. The CSI got cheeky.

"What kind of car does Brian drive?"

"Why?"

"Blue Toyota?"

"Yes."

"He's behind us. Looks like the breakfast is there, we should hurry up with our last witness."

"Before the coffee gets cold. I hate it when that happens. Nothing more disgusting than cold coffee."

"Hot department coffee." Sara agitated. This vending machine coffee was worse than no coffee at all. She had no idea why the department kept it, why not replace with something people could actually drink?

She stopped the car in front of the next address and got out. The house of Toni Angelo.

"You're tailing a police car." Sara said to Brian, who got out of his car too.

"Actually I'm stalking a certain detective."

"That's a crime."

"She can handcuff me, if she wants." He grinned at Sofia.

"That's nothing Sara wants to hear. We need to talk to one more witness, can you wait here?" She tried not to come too close to Brian. She was still on duty, she was right in the middle of the street, she had to be professional.

"No problem. I've got fifteen minutes before I've to go back."

"It won't take longer than a minute or two." Sofia promised. Together with Sara she walked up the half a dozen steps to the front door and rang the bell.

"Who's there?"

"Toni Angelo? LVPD, we'd like to…" The sound of crashing wood let Sara and Sofia go down at the same time. There was a hole in the door, right in the middle.

"Shit. Dispatch, detective Curtis, I'm on South Riley Street. Suspect is shooting, I need back-up. Now!" She looked at Sara. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Sara had her gun in her hand.

"We can't go back to the car, there's no cover. Stay here." Sofia kicked the rest of the door away and got down. She expected another bullet, but only silence greeted her when she entered the house. Sara was right behind her.

"I need to clear the house."

"And you surely won't do it alone. We already know there's somebody inside and this person is willing to shoot." Sara had a point.

"Stay behind me." Slowly they made their way in the hallway. Sara's gun was pointed to the stairs, Sofia's toward the kitchen. The door was wide open. Where was Angelo? Was he hiding in the kitchen? Did he run upstairs? Was there a basement? Or did he leave the house and ran?

"Mister Angelo, this is LVPD. Drop your gun and get out, hands up high."

No answer. Step by step they made their way to the kitchen. Sofia scanned the room. No sign of a person. The coffee on the table was steaming, there were eggs burning on the oven. She didn't bother to do anything against that.

"The kitchen is clear, he must be upstairs."

"Or he left and took off." Sara had seen the backdoor. They hadn't heard a door, but they concentrated on finding a place to hide and didn't pay attention to doors.

"A killer on the loose."

"Let's get upstairs." Sara walked to the stairs. She couldn't hear any back-up, they were too far away to have anybody close. Sofia in front of her, they made the first steps. Covering the blonde's back, having an eye on the area downstairs and trying to see if anybody was hiding upstairs, she had too many spaces to cover and not enough eyes. When she realized somebody was in the living room and pointed a gun at her, it was too late. She felt pain in her lower body. Did she scream? Or was it only in her head? Was she hit by a bullet? There was this pain. The last thing she remembered was, she looked at her hands ant they didn't look the same anymore. They were red and wet. Covered in blood. Her own blood.

* * *

"Where is she?" Jules practically flew in the waiting area and got Sofia in her arms.

"In surgery."

"Where?"

"Behind the door, they don't let me…"

Jules was out of Sofia's arms and on her way to the door, that leaded to emergency area. Sofia had tried to enter this area, but got sent away twice. Her badge didn't help.

"Ma'am, you can't go in there." A nurse tried to stop Jules, who ignored the woman.

"Ma'am!" The nurse got Jules' arm.

"I need to see Miss Sidle."

"Miss Sidle is in surgery."

"Then give me a doctor."

"Ma'am please, you need to…"

"All I need is to know how Sara is."

"Like I said, she's in surgery, I can't tell you how she is. And we can give this kind of information only to family member. There's no family listed for Miss Sidle."

"She has no family, she has us."

"Sorry, you need to wait."

"I don't think so." Jules got a sheet of paper out of her pocket. "I'm in charge. It's Miss Sidle's wish that if something happens to her, I'm around. I've the power of attorney. Whatever you do, you have to clear it with me."

"Stay here, I'll tell the doctor to talk to you as soon as he has some time." She pushed Jules back in the waiting area.

Unsatisfied with the result, Jules needed all her willpower not to kick the vending machine.

"If I don't get any information within the next minutes, they'll be in trouble." She turned to Sofia. "What did happen?" Sofia had called Jules as soon as Sara was in the ambulance. She knew, the psychologist wanted to be with Sara. That she was Sara's POA was new for Sofia, but didn't surprise her.

"She got shot."

"How?"

"We wanted to talk to a witness, when he instead of opening the door, shot at us. I called for backup and we went inside. When we thought we had cleared the lower level, we wanted to go upstairs to look for the suspect. I was in front, Sara was behind me. It seems like we didn't look good enough, the man was still downstairs and shot Sara. She got down, all I could do was to shoot the man. I never saw him, when I realized he was there it was too late, I…" Sofia couldn't hold back her tears. She had failed. It was her job to make sure Sara was safe and what did happen? Sara got shot.

Jules pulled Sofia in her arms. "She'll make it, she's strong."

"There was so much blood."

"Where did he hit her?"

"I don't know…lower part of her body. Belly? Kidneys? I can't tell you, Jules. I called an ambulance and…Brian gave her first aid." Sofia could barely see Brian, who was sitting on a chair not far away, through her tears. She had failed. Again. It was her job to make sure Sara was alright. She didn't do her job. She let somebody shot Sara.

Jules looked at her patient.

"Doctor Weinberg." Brian stood up and walked to the women.

"Mister Miller, thanks for helping."

"My pleasure."

"He was around, had some breakfast for us. We were in the area where the veterinary office is and…doesn't matter. He helped."

"Do you know something more about her injuries?"

"The bullet didn't hit the kidney, also not the liver. My guess is, it's in the stomach. Sara lost a lot of blood, I tried to stop the bleeding, I have my emergency kit also in the car, but I'm not a ER doctor, I'm a vet. I'm better in helping cats and dogs."

"I'm sure you did a good job." His clothes were covered in blood; Sara's blood. Jules didn't want to imagine how much blood her friend had lost.

"Does she need blood?"

"I'm sure she does. She lost a lot."

"We're the same blood group, I can donate some blood." Jules turned towards the door, ignoring the deny of the nurse to stay out. Before she could open the door a doctor came out. His eyes met Jules'.

"Doctor Weinberg?"

"Yes."

"I'm doctor Huxley…"

"How is Sara?"

"She's alive, but she lost a lot of blood and she's in a critically condition. We got the bullet out."

"Do you need blood?"

"If you want to donate blood I can arrange that. She might need some more blood later, at the moment she's in surgery, we hope it won't take longer than another hour. After that she'll be in a coma, she needs to rest."

"Will she be okay?"

"If there are no complications and she'll be stable during the night, she'll be alright. But right now I can't promise anything. It would be worse if she hadn't gotten first aid." He looked at Brian. With his bloody t-shirt he was obviously a person, who had been involved. "Your work?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever went to medical school?"

"I'm a vet."

"Animal or human, a compression bandage is a compression bandage. Saved her life." He turned back to Jules. "I understood you're the POA."

"Yes."

"I'll inform you when there's something or when she's out of surgery."

"Can I see her?"

"Not within the next hours. And like I said, we'll put her in a coma, you won't be able to talk to her. Same for the police." He looked at Sofia, whose badge was still visible on her belt.

"I'm not here as a police detective right now. I'm here as her friend."

"She'll need a friend more than a police detective. If you excuse me now, I've to go back."

"Thanks doctor." Jules dropped on a chair. She felt helpless, useless.

Greg and Grissom came into the room.

"Jules, what happened?" Greg was next to his friend. "How is Sara?" They had heard their friend was shot and brought to hospital.

"In surgery."

"What did happen?"

Jules looked at Sofia. That was her part, she had been there.

Slowly Sofia repeated the story. She knew, she had to go down to the police department. She had to make her statement, they would collect her gun. She had shot a man. She needed to be cleared. Toni Angelo was dead. Sofia's bullet had entered his skull and he was dead before he hit the ground. She didn't feel sorry for that. She only felt sorry that she couldn't manage to hit him before he shot Sara.

"We need your clothes." Grissom said to Sofia. "I talked to Ecklie, Greg and me will work the case."

"That's good." Or better than having anybody else around them, asking questions. Jules pulled Greg closer to her. "She'll be alright, won't she?"

"Of course, you know her. She'll be fine."

"I'm so scared."

"She's a fighter, she'll be alright."

"Sofia?" Nobody had noticed Brass. Did he come here with Greg and Grissom? Sofia couldn't remember seeing him, but she couldn't remember a lot. All she remembered was how Sara fell, the blood and that the doctor said, she was critical. But there was hope. She had to think positive.

"I know."

"I'm sorry, but you need to come with me."

Jules looked up. "I'll call you as soon as I know something."

"Thanks. Brian? You need to come too. They need your clothes and we…captain Brass needs your statement." She was out of this. Her job wasn't to work this case anymore. She became a witness. A victim? A killer? She became involved and had no power anymore.

"What is with doctor Weinberg? Will you be alright here?"

"Yes." She wanted Nina here. Why did her girlfriend leave last night? That was very bad timing.

"I'll stay with you, I need Sara's clothes. Janet will come over and stays with you."

"And I'll be back ASAP." Sofia planed to make her trip to the department very short. They could have her statement, her clothes and her gun, but she wanted to be back here as soon as possible.

* * *

"Anything new?" Sofia sat next to Jules, who seemed to sit on the same chair like when Sofia had left the waiting room. Jules had sent her a text that Sara was out of surgery, but the doctor didn't tell her more nor let her see her.

"No. They gave Greg her clothes."

"I saw him on my way back here. Where's Janet?"

"I sent her away."

"Jules…"

"To get some real coffee. Your department coffee is disgusting, the coffee here isn't much better."

"Coffee will be good." Sofia didn't think she was able to drink or eat any time soon, but it was good to have coffee around.

"Yes."

"Jules…I'm so sorry…I've no idea how…I mean, we checked …how could he…why didn't I just sent her out? It's my job to clear the area, not hers." She had said the same to Jim, when he asked her about the shooting. There was no way she could pretend, it wasn't her fault. She was the detective, she had to make sure the scene was secured. She had to give Sara a place to work, that wasn't dangerous. She had failed. It was all her fault.

"We both know Sara, there was no way she'd let you go inside the house alone. It's not your fault."

"It's the second time she got injured and I didn't do anything."

"The second time?"

"When Natalie…"

"Sofia, that was not your fault. Like today."

"I'm the detective…"

"Yes, you're the detective, you did your job. It doesn't matter how good we do our job, there'll always be a time when something goes wrong."

"This failure can cost Sara her life."

"It won't. But do me a favor."

"What?"

"Don't tell her you think it's your fault."

"She knows it better than anybody else."

"She knows, you did your best, you did the best you could and it's not your fault. If you say anything else, you'll just annoy her and she needs her energy to get well and not to be pissed off."

"Why did he shoot her? Why not me?"

"Because she was behind you, you tried to shield her, but he was behind you. So she was closer for him than you were."

"The CSI is my responsibility."

"Sara is her own responsibility. It was her decision to follow you, it was her decision not to wait for backup."

"You should be mad at me. I let your best friend get shot."

"Being mad at you would be very stupid, I try not to act too stupid. I didn't act smart and like I should when I came here, as a doctor, I should have behaved better and not give the nurse such a hard time or try to get something I knew, I can't have. I blame it on the shock, but I can't blame everything on it."

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me." Jules took Sofia in her arms. "She'll be fine, Sofia. She has no other choice. I'd be very mad and angry with her if she dies. Believe me, Sara won't risk to make me that furious."

"She's out of surgery, when the doctor didn't mentioned any problems, she'll be fine. They've good doctors here, they'll get her out of the coma and we'll take her home."

"I'm afraid that will take some time; even when Sara's first question will be, when we get her home. Poor nurses. And she can say a big thank you to your boyfriend. I knew he's a good guy."

"He is. And of course he could help her, she's a bitch, that's exactly his clientele."

Jules had to laugh. Sofia was right on that one.

"I hope, we'll see him a little bit more often and not only in hospital."

"As soon as he has passed his exams and removed his name from your client list, he'll come along. Until that he'll stay away. It's not good to see your therapist drunk and flirting with your girlfriend and take her serious the next day when you've an appointment." Sofia smiled a bit.

"He has a point on that but I can stay at my place when you want to have him over. That's alright."

"At the moment I don't feel like having a barbecue. It's more important that Sara gets well soon."

"That's true."

"Hey." Janet came with a box of coffee and a bag back in the room. The bag smelled like fresh donuts. Her brown hair was wet, she must have walked through the rain without an umbrella.

"Hi." Sofia smiled a bit and hugged Janet.

"How are you?"

"Better than Sara."

"It's not your fault what happened to her."

"That's what Jules tries to tell me."

"Listen to her, she's smart."

"I know."

"Want some coffee? A donut?"

"I'm not hungry."

"You eat a donut." Jules ordered. "You missed breakfast, you need some sugar. It doesn't help Sara when you break down. She needs us to be strong, that means, you need to keep your body strong too. I know I can't get you to drink some tea, so drink coffee and eat a donut. Otherwise I'll send you home."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"Pretty easy: I'll tell the nurse you're not allowed to see Sara."

"Blackmailing."

"If it works it's fine with me."

"I eat, I eat." Sofia bite in a donut. If she had no other choice, she would eat a donut and drink some coffee. But Jules shouldn't think she could send Sofia home. There was no way the detective would leave before she had any news of Sara.

* * *

"There are these beautiful brown eyes." Greg bent over the bed and kissed Sara on her lips. He had made a detour from work back home to see if his friend was awake. The doctor had told Jules last night, they wanted Sara to get out of her coma and she was due to wake up this morning.

"My puppy."

"My perfect brunette." He kissed her again. "I missed your voice. It's great to see you awake again. You're a little bit pale, we need to feed you something with color – like a cake."

"Actually I'm starving."

"No surprise, they kept you on IV feeding."

"I hope, you ordered vegetarian IV food for me."

"Jules did all the orders. They didn't let me come close to you, only family. That reduced your visitors to the doc, she was allowed to come in."

"She's the POA."

"Yes and she made it very clear, that she wanted to see you, wanted to have all the news and wouldn't leave until she saw you at least once a day. That was after the surgery, when she stayed twelve hours to see you for a minute."

"Why didn't she go home?"

"Sara." Greg cocked his head. "If Jules were in your shoes, how likely would it be that you go home?"

"Very unlikely."

"See. Even when we weren't allowed to be here, one of us was always here. Jules, Sofia, Janet, Nina, Grissom and me, we shared guard. Oh and your personal life saver was here too."

"Who's that?"

"Brian."

"Brian…Sofia's boyfriend. Right, he was there when we went in the house. Did anything happen to him? What happened to the man? He shot me, I guess. All I can remember is, that there was this pain and suddenly my hands were all red and wet and the world got black."

"Yes, he shot you. You took a bullet in the belly. Sofia killed him, gunshot in the head. She called an ambulance and Brian, who had his kit with him, saved you. He put on some compression bandage and stopped the bleeding. And before I forget: you've got Jules' blood in your veins."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Because you've lost so much blood, she donated some blood to you. Looks like the two of you just got closer, you've a pint of her blood in your veins."

"I'm a doctor now – partly."

"Yes." He laughed. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up."

"I wasn't awake long. Took me a minute or so to understand where I am and why. The little bandage around my belly makes it obvious. And all these things around me. Can you get the needle out of my arm?" Sara looked at the IV.

"I'm afraid I'm allowed to do that."

"Bugger. I won't tell."

"I will." Nina came in the room.

"I've a gunshot wound not a mental problem, you're in the wrong room, doctor." Sara smiled.

"I don't call you insane, Sara, but I also don't call you sane. You know, you're not suppose to be in a house with a suspect inside?"

"Are you here for the department?"

"No."

"Then don't ask stupid questions like that and give me a hug."

"Alright." Nina hugged Sara and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you're fine."

"It didn't look too good, did it?"

"No, it looked bad first. Do you know how long you were in a coma?"

"I've no clue what day is today."

"You slept two days, they got four pints of blood in your veins."

"Wow, that's serious. One pint is of Jules."

"Yes, she donated a pint, we others don't have the right blood group."

"There's a reason why I have Jules around, I need her blood."

"You scared her. She'll be over the moon to see you awake."

"I'm happy to see all of you. How is the detective?"

"She didn't get hurt." Greg said. He didn't mention that Sofia was in a very bad shape since Sara got shot. He doubted, the blonde had slept for more than an hour and she only ate and drank something, when somebody forced her to do so. She felt guilty, she felt responsible.

"Thanks God. Did she get in trouble?"

"No, they cleared her within a day."

"But?"

"No but."

"Greg." Sara sighed. Why was her friend trying to lie to her? He should know that she always knew when he was lying or not telling her the whole truth.

"She keeps telling herself it's her fault that you got shot."

"Bogus."

"I know that."

"We both cleared the lower level, we both didn't see Angelo. If she hadn't react fast, if she hadn't shot him, he had killed me. I'm sure he had more than one bullet in his gun. No need for stupid thoughts like that."

"You can tell her, she'll come here later."

"I'd kick her ass if anybody…Nina, you're a doctor. A M.D. doctor."

"Yes and no, I won't do anything to get you out of here. You lost a lot of blood…"

"I got that back!"

"…you were in coma for two days…"

"Enough sleep."

"…you were shot, you've a wound, you need medical treatment. It's not enough to stay in bed and take some pills, you need a new bandage at least once a day and you need a doctor around in case something happens. I haven't talked to your doctor, but I'm sure you'll stay for the rest of the week."

"I slept two day…it's Wednesday?"

"Yes."

"So by Friday."

"Sara, the week goes until Sunday. And if they allow you to leave on Sunday, you're lucky."

"I'd get well faster if I'm home, in my own bed."

"Forget it."

"Spoilsport. Greg, kick her out of the room, she isn't good for me."

"I tell you the truth, Sara. Do you want me to lie to you?" Nina took Sara's hand and stroke it with hers. "I know you don't like hospitals, nobody does, but it's better. As soon as it's not dangerous anymore, we'll get you home. Promise. If anything would happen to you while you're home, no matter what and how serious, I know at least one woman, who'd get crazy."

"I think, I know two."

"There are few more, but one will be extremely crazy. Or two. You know Jules worries a lot about you, she would never forgive herself if anything happens to you. Same for Sofia. She feels guilty, if there are any complications, she'll snap. If you don't want to stay here for yourself, do it for them. Please."

"I need to talk to Sofia, it's not her fault."

"She won't understand it, we tried it. The only way to get her out of this guilt is to become the healthy Sara again. We all miss to sit on your balcony."

"The balcony is there, you all have a key."

"It's not the same without you."

"Exactly. Like work. I miss working with you, miss having breakfast with you. And your smile." Greg took Sara's other hand. "It's not nice to see you in hospital."

"Now you know how I felt when I saw you in hospital. It was even worse when I saw you on this alley, beaten up."

"I didn't see you, but I've the Sidle sense."

Sara smiled. "I love you, Greg."

"Of course you do. I knew that all the time."

"Janet will kill me for that, but you are a cute couple."

"Yes we are." Sara grinned.

"And yes, she'll kill you if she hears that. We better not tell her. And we won't tell her that I kissed Sara – twice."

"If kissing Sara is all you ever did to her, Janet has less reason to be jealous than I have. You had sex with my girlfriend. Several times."

"Yes and it was good. But that was before she had you and I had Janet. I've no chance to get her in my bed now, even if I wanted to."

"Sofia always complained that there must be a rule that everybody in our group has to have sex with me, but I think it's more like, everybody has to have sex with Jules."

"The faked blonde should stay with her vet, if I catch her hitting on my girlfriend, she'll be in trouble."

"So far I've seen it only the other way round." Greg chuckled. He saw Jules hitting on Sofia a few times, but never Sofia showing any interest in Jules.

"She doesn't do that anymore."

"No, she's too much in love with you."

"But she wasn't willing to leave Vegas for me. You made her stay, Sara."

"I know and I'm not sorry for that. But it's another kind of love."

"I know. I won't make a scene."

"Good. I'm convalescent, I can't handle a hysterical woman. Especially not when she's a shrink."

"You never know what they do with your head, do you?" Greg laughed. He was happy that Sara was awake and made some jokes. The last two days had been very hard and long for all of them.

* * *

Sara didn't need to open her eyes, she knew who was in the room when she woke up with closed eyes. She felt the hand on her hand, she felt how the index finger softly stroke over her hand.

"I see a little smile in the corner of your mouth, you're awake."

"I'm about to wake up." Sara blinked and saw blue eyes. "How are you, Sofia?"

"The more important question is, how are you, Sara?"

"I'd feel better if you hug me."

Sofia laughed a bit, got up and took Sara carefully in her arms.

"If you dare to say, you're sorry, I let you kick out of the room, am I clear?" Sara whispered in Sofia's ear.

"Sara, I…"

"Wrong answer, Honey. All I want as an answer is a yes. Try it again."

"Yes."

"Good. We can talk about that if want, but I don't want to hear that you're sorry. It's not your fault, I don't blame you. You saved my life, you shot him, you called for help. Remember that and not other things. I'm fine, Sofia, give me a few days and I'm as good as new. What I need is a detective, who isn't blaming herself for something, that's not her fault."

"I'll try."

"That's a start. Do I get a kiss?"

Sofia kissed Sara's cheek.

"Now you disappoint me. Jules and Greg managed to give me a real kiss and you come along with a 'hello grandma kiss'. Maybe this vet isn't that good for you at all."

Now Sofia really had to laugh. She stroke Sara's cheek softly and looked her in the eyes. "Now I believe you're better." Softly she kissed Sara on the lips, who responded the kiss for a second before she grinned.

"I am better now. When I told you months ago I like your lips, I meant it."

"You missed the chance to feel them daily, your own fault."

"I know. But when I get a kiss whenever I wake up out of a coma, I might consider to have a coma three or four times a year."

"Don't you dare. I find out you do that on purpose, I'll stop talking to you and won't kiss you anymore. Not even a 'hello grandma kiss', do you understand?"

"Yes." Sara sat up a bit. She was still on IV and hated to have something attached to her. Every time she moved, she felt like she might pull out the IV.

"You're pale."

"You look beautiful." Sara shot back.

"You're also beautiful when you're pale, but you look better with some color in your face. I think, I've the perfect medicine for you." Sofia got a bar of chocolate out of her pocket. "This will give you some color, some sugar, some calcium, some cocoa. It's a magic bar packed with everything you need."

"Thanks. Tell me about the case."

"Sara, you're in hospital…"

"That's why I ask. Don't tell me I'm ill and you want me to relax. I relax better when I know the answers to all my questions in my head." Sara moved a bit to let Sofia sit on the bed and took her hand.

"We found a gun in Angelo's house. It's the same gun that was used to kill the six Alphabet gang members. There were articles about gangs, there were photos of gang member in the area, we found a SUV, but no signs of the other seven victims. If he burnt them, the ashes didn't end up in his house or car. I think he tossed the bag or whatever he used to carry the ashes."

"I wonder why he shoot at us. If he wanted to clean the area from gang members, why shoot at the police, who does the same?"

"My guess is, he knew we wanted to stop him. He knew, what he did wasn't right in our eyes, he knew, if we got him, we would stop him. He was a man on a mission, nothing is suppose to get between him and his mission. We were collateral damage."

"You need a good detective to stop a man on a mission. How is Brian handling it? Now that he saw how his girlfriend works? Did he tell you already, you need to ask for a transfer? A nice and safe place at a desk."

"No, he didn't say anything like that. He's not stupid, he knows, I'd kick his ass if he comes along with a stupid idea like that. I won't give up my job, I love my job. The danger is a part of it, but people don't shoot at me every day."

"No. I guess most criminals are too stunned to see such a wonderful woman as a detective."

"Are you sucking up? That's not your style, Sara. What are your plans? If you want me to smuggle you out of here, don't waste your energy. I got told by a very firm psychologist not to give in. If I get you out of here before the end of the week, I'll be in bigger trouble than you'll be. And I hate to admit, but Jules can be very scary."

"Such a beast." Sara grumbled.

"She's right. We want you back home ASAP, no question, but it's more important that you'll be alright."

"There's no difference between my bed and this one. Only that my bed is much more comfortable."

"Here are nurses and doctors, people you might need. I promise, as soon as we can take you home, we'll do it."

"I need a fresh bandage every day, I can do that myself. Wrap myself up."

"No you can't. And you can't see if there's an infection. Don't try to argue, you'll stay here."

"Mean."

"Concerned."

"Cold hearted."

"Full of love."

"You? Yeah, for your vet."

"That too. But I still love you, Sara, don't worry."

"Brian was there when we went into the house…did he stay outside?" Sara knew, some people ran away when they heard gunfire, others tempt to run to the fire and see, what did happen.

"He called 911 when he heard the fire and came inside. By that time Angelo was dead. Brian was responsible for your first bandage."

"Greg told me, he saved my life."

"Yes. But he won't agree on that. He'll tell you, he only stopped the bleeding."

"What saved my life."

"I know that."

"Rescued by a vet. I always liked vets, they're the only nice kind of doctors."

"He'll be happy to hear that."

"Will he be there when I go home?"

"Only of you take your time until after his exams. He met Jules here when you were in surgery, that's enough. He had seen a very private side of his therapist, anything more might be bad for his therapy. How can you believe somebody, who tells you something isn't dangerous, that there's no need to fear, when you see your therapist having a heart attack because she's scared to death."

"Because the surgery was life-threatening and an exam isn't a danger for your life?"

"You don't pass the exam your life can change in a very bad direction."

"True, but you'll live."

"You will. The question is, will you have the power to go on with your life after you missed that chance? But there's no reason to talk about that, he'll pass his exams and he'll be a wonderful vet."

"Why now? Why didn't he try it earlier?"

"Because he had no real reason. In his eyes. He could work with his father, enhance his skills and was fine with that. Now his father told him, he wants to retire, that means, Brian has to take over, has to become a real vet otherwise his father will sell the veterinary office. That's why."

"Some people can do things, they didn't think they can do, when they have the right pressure."

"He'll make it. Like you. You'll be fine very soon and come back home. Home isn't the same without you." Sofia pressed Sara's hand. Her friend would be alright. She was trying to get home already, she would be fine.


End file.
